IndiGo fiasco: DGCA eases some pilot duty rules amid havoc at airports

New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday eased some pilot duty rules with immediate effect after low-cost airline IndiGo was hit by a massive staff crunch, resulting in the cancellation of several flights across the country. 

To control the spiralling crisis, the aviation regulator has announced partial relief on pilot duty rules in its latest notification, relaxing a clause which debarred airlines from club leaves with weekly rest.

Referring to its earlier order of "no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest", the DGCA said that “In view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representations received from various airlines regarding the need to ensure continuity and stability of operations, it has been considered necessary to review the said provision”.

Therefore, the instruction “that no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” said the regulator.

The disruption caused by IndiGo’s cancellation of nearly 500 flights reverberated in Parliament on Friday, with opposition members accusing the airline of “monopolistic practices” and the “government of regulatory laxity”.

Earlier, Delhi Airport issued a fresh passenger advisory, announcing that all IndiGo domestic flights departing from the airport are cancelled until midnight.

“IndiGo domestic flights departing from Delhi Airport on 5th December 2025 are cancelled till midnight today (till 23:59 hours). Operations for all other carriers remain as scheduled,” said the advisory.

In November alone, IndiGo recorded 1,232 cancellations across its network.

The government has said that it was closely monitoring IndiGo’s operational recovery and passenger support measures until full stability is achieved.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation took a serious note of the recent operational disruptions and cancellations of flights across IndiGo’s network. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu chaired a high-level review meeting with IndiGo’s senior management in the presence of the Secretary, Civil Aviation, Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), senior officials of the Ministry, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Minister Naidu expressed clear displeasure regarding the manner in which the situation has been handled by the airline and stressed that ample preparatory time had been available to ensure a seamless transition to the new regulatory requirements.

The minister further directed IndiGo to normalise operations urgently and to ensure that there is no increase in airfares due to the current situation. He also instructed the airline to proactively inform passengers of any likely cancellations well in advance and to ensure that all necessary facilities, including hotel accommodation where required, are provided promptly to minimise inconvenience.

--IANS

na/dpb